A Promise
by MysteryGirl7Freak
Summary: A one-shot for Prismrain13's Reconnected Saga, featuring my OCs that Prism use or will hopefully use in her series. A glimpse of a past on a happy day with a rather dark foreshadowing of someone's future.


**A Promise**

Gabriella gazed happily down to the little bundle in her arms, exhausted from the hours of being in labor and just giving birth not too long ago. She lay back, propped up by pillows in a queen sized bed with simple blue sheets covering her lower half. Sweat plastered her skin and black hair, tears stained her flushed cheeks. To Truen, his wife looked more beautiful than he ever thought before as he sat next to her on the bed. "You were amazing, Gabi."

A short laugh escaped her lips, mixed in with a sob. "I just can't believe he's finally here." Gabriella gently stroked the newborn's cheek, the baby cooing softly. "We're really parents. We have a son."

"Yeah." Truen leaned in closer to his family, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders with a soft smile. "We have a son." He kissed her forehead before laying his head on top of hers, both parents beaming with joy and love as they stared at the sleeping baby boy.

For a few minutes, they stayed that way, enjoying this moment of happiness. Not moving. Not when the midwife entered. Not when she started gathering her things, a bit noisily. It was when she spoke that the parents looked up.

"I apologize for my assistant's behavior. He's still new to the practice."

"It's all right," Gabriella reassured, "He didn't hit his head when he fainted, I hope?"

"No, he's all right," the midwife said, "The only bruise he's got is on his dignity. Sonya's with him." She closed her bag and left it on the nightstand as she walked over to Gabriella's side, opposite of Truen. "Now, mind if I check on the babe one last time and then I'll take my leave? Just to make sure he's healthy and all."

"Oh. Sure." Gabriella reluctantly handed her son over to the midwife. The midwife held the baby with expertise, one-handed as she used her other hand to move the blanket out of the way. She examined the little face with a thoughtful expression. A thick eyebrow quirked before the woman handed the baby back to his mother. "Everything ok then?"

"Yes," the midwife answered, sounding unsure. "Healthy, no birth defects or bones broken. However…"

"Yes?" Truen inquired, hearing the hesitance in her voice.

The midwife stepped away from the couple, wringing her hands nervously. She refused to make eye contact with them, walking over to stand in front of the window. Outside, the ruby moon hung full in the night sky. "There is something dark in the child's future."

"Dark?" Gabriella questioned. She looked at her husband, then back to the midwife, confused. "What do you mean?"

The midwife stared outside, speaking as if unaware of her surroundings. "A shadow has fallen over him. If he does not tread carefully, he'll be lost to darkness."

Truen stood up, baffled by the midwife's words. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

He never got an answer as a young girl rushed into the room, hurrying over to the midwife's side. "Ms. Sybil! Rachel's son just arrived! His mother's water just broke!"

The midwife broke out of her stupor, turning to the girl and grabbing her arms. "Heavens! When was this, Sonya?"

"Just now. Travis went ahead in case we don't make it in time."

"That useless fool? He'll faint just from the screams. That'll never do." The midwife dragged the girl along as she quickly grabbed her things. She gave a nod of farewell to the couple. "I have to leave. Congratulations once again on your son!"

"Congratulations!" Sonya called over her shoulder as both of them rushed out the doorway. Truen tried to follow them, calling out for them to wait, wanting an explanation for the woman's words. However, it was too late for as quick as they came, they left. Leaving the new parents puzzled, the mother anxious and a bit fearful of the foreboding prophecy over her son.

Gabriella held her son closer to her, as if to protect him from the unknown danger in his future. "What did she mean, Truen? What does she mean 'a shadow has fallen over him'?"

Truen sighed, running a hand over his face, stopping at his mouth. "I'm not sure. Hmm." He dropped his hand. "It could be nothing. Just the exhaustion of the woman talking."

"Still, she sounded so fearful." Gabriella glanced down to her son's peaceful face, a growing fear of her own filling inside her heart. "I don't want to believe it, but I really don't think it's nothing."

Truen went back to his wife's side, trying to keep a calm facade for her sake."You don't really believe that what she says could be true, do you?"

"Why else would she say such a thing? Sybil is a very perceptive woman with an uncanny streak of her predictions coming true. Remember what she said of the Tyner's newborn? She told them that the baby would be replaced by a changeling and three months later faes had stolen the child away. Or when she predicted one of Rachel's newborn would die in their sleep and it happened?"

"Those were just...coincidences," Truen tried to reason. "Most of her predictions are harmless. Most don't even come true. You shouldn't let yourself get worked up over this. You just gave birth today and are exhausted."

Gabriella's breathing became uneasy, her voice trembling as she spoke. "I just don't want to loose him." Fresh tears filled the corners of her eyes. "I only just held him and now it feels like he'll be snatch away from us." A sob erupted from her throat.

Truen kneeled down, caressing his wife's cheek. He used his thumb to wipe away a tear. "Hey," he whispered gently. "Shhh. Gabriella. Look at me, Gabriella."

Wet indigo-blue eyes looked up to blue, reassuring ones. Truen carefully cradle Gabriella's face with both hands. "Gabriella, don't worry. Our son isn't going anywhere any time soon. He's gonna be around for a long time and we're gonna be there for him throughout his life. We'll watch him take his first steps, hear his first words. See him laugh and play and smile with joy. We'll be there for him when he needs us most, wipe away his tears, give him comfort when he needs it. And he'll know that we love him no what matter. Even if Sybil is right and our son gets lost in darkness one day, I have faith that he'll find his way out of it and back on the path of light. That he'll find his way back to us. You know why? Because he's our son, he has us as his parents. And we love and are going to love him for the rest of time. We stick together." Truen repositioned himself so that he is sitting on the bed next to her, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Through thick and thin."

Gabriella smiled. She leaned forward and gave her husband a soft kiss.

"Then...his name should be Luke."

"Luke?"

"In Latin, it means 'light'. Think of it as a promise. So I know that he'll come back if he ever does find himself lost."

Truen smiled, pulling his wife into his embrace as she lay her back against him. "Luke it is, then."


End file.
